


Into the Unknown

by Gyhl



Series: Whumptober 2020 [9]
Category: Fallout: New Vegas, Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: I mean it's FO:NV appropriate, I think it might be FO:NV canon torture for that matter, Torture, but not so much for Kingsman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:33:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27054982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gyhl/pseuds/Gyhl
Summary: Possession | Magical Healing |Science Gone Wrong
Series: Whumptober 2020 [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1950607
Kudos: 11
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Into the Unknown

Merlin was hanging limply in his chains. He couldn’t actually be certain how long he’d been in Caesar’s compound. Kingsman had been working on dismantling their holds one-by-one, cutting one head after another off of the monster that was Caesar’s Legion. But the Legion was ever resourceful and they’d figured out what his role in Kingsman was. And so they’re targeted him, believing that the loss of the Handler would leave Kingsman in disarray.

But they hadn’t _just_ taken him. No, that would have been too kind for Caesar. The dictator had settled back at watched as Lucius, one of his most trusted men, had slowly and precisely flayed strip after strip of skin from their captive’s back. Once Merlin was out from the pain and shock, they’d put him in the auto-doc for however long it took to repair the damage Lucius had done.

It healed, but it left scars behind, and Merlin’s back was quickly becoming a mass of scars; almost perfectly straight scars. The constant cycle of torture, auto-doc, torture was taking its toll on him, mentally as well as physically. He knew the numbers of the Legion in the heart of the Compound and he was starting to wonder if the others would even be able to fight through the ranks. And not because he doubted the others but because he was rapidly breaking.

He heard the tent flap open and bit down on a frightened moan that wanted to escape him. He wasn’t going to give Caesar the satisfaction of hearing him whimper like a frightened dog. Not as long as he could manage to hold it back anyway. Not when he screamed in pain all through the torture as it was.

He heard two sets of footsteps approaching, and he knew that, in a moment, Caesar would sit on his throne to watch him as Lucius flayed him. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to force the fear off of his face… but it refused to go. He opened his eyes as Caesar stepped around him, but this time the man didn’t sit.

“You’ve taken a great deal of pain in a short time,” Caesar began. “I give you an offer: join the Legion, swear your life to me, and this will all stop.”

Merlin scoffed with more bravado than he felt. “You don’t recruit via torture. You conquer and give them the choice of joining you or crucifixion. Why’m I so special?”

The dictator didn’t answer right away and Merlin realized why: Kingsman had done more damage to Caesar than they’d realized. He had a feeling that he would be expected to betray Kingsman’s secrets to Caesar and his men as a showing of loyalty. 

“I see,” he said. “I know what you do to traitors: crucifixion. I’ve no doubt that’s what’ll happen to me if I tell you what you want.”

The dictator watched him with a cold and analytical gaze. Merlin knew how well educated Caesar was said to be _and_ the number of tribes he’d absorbed during his campaign. And then Caesar nodded to himself and spoke to Lucius.

“When he breaks, it won’t be the way we need. Have him crucified.”

“Yes, Caesar,” came the Praetor Commander’s reply.

The soldier unlocked his chains and Merlin _wanted_ to fight; wanted to, but his legs wouldn’t hold him. He sank, no, he _fell_ to the floor and landed in an undignified heap. The auto-doc had kept him healed but it couldn’t heal physical stamina. On its own it was a marvel of the old world; in Caesar’s hands it was a method to keep victims alive as long as he wanted or needed to.

He heard Lucius call for another of Caesar’s most trusted men and felt himself being hauled up. He knew he was going to be brought down to the base of the camp. It would be a show for the slaves - all women as Caesar believed women had no use beyond fucking or childbearing; those that weren’t for either of those were used for labor - to remind them of what could be done to them and for the Legionnaires as a moral booster.

Merlin _wanted_ to walk with his held high as one last ‘fuck you’ to Caesar, but he couldn’t do much more than be dragged. The soldiers brought him out of the tent and let the Legionnaires stare up at the enemy their leader - a man they believed to be the son of Mars - had brought low.

He felt nothing but shame as the men cheered. He could see a pair in the back lighting something; likely some form of homemade fireworks. It wasn’t as if they were difficult to figure out, not when grenades were often homemade. But instead of throwing it in the air, they threw it into the crowd of Legionnaires. 

Merlin watched in disbelief as the mostly unseen grenade exploded, taking the nearest men with it and badly maiming others. There were a few moments of utter chaos as the actual Legionnaires tried to find the enemy, and then the shots started ringing. Merlin watched as the newcomers moved around each other, shooting the ones too far to reach and physically fighting the rest. They were in perfect time with each other; they almost looked more like dancers than fighters. 

Through all of it, Merlin noticed that Caesar himself remained inside his tent. When the shooting stopped, the only Legionnaires left standing were the ones who’d decided Caesar wasn’t actually worth dying for and were fleeing. The two who’d come to his aid came up to where he was.

“Harry, Eggsy,” he said. “Took yeh long enough.”

“Anyone with him?” Eggsy asked.

“Nope, just him.”

Eggsy nodded and threw the tent flap open. Merlin watched as the young agent took the helmet off and let Caesar see who’d destroyed the compound. He watched as Eggsy brought his gun up. But the lad couldn’t just shoot him, no.

“The Ides of March have come,” Eggsy said before firing, throwing the mocking words of the man Caesar had based himself on at the tyrant.

“Ye’ve learned well from Harry.”

Eggsy flashed him a grin before he and Harry got Merlin to his feet, even _if_ Merlin was mostly sagging against them. “Let’s get you back home, yeah?”


End file.
